Issue - meetings

To receive and respond to the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2023-27.

The Committee received a report on the Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) for 2023-2027 and the revenue and capital proposals contained within the MTFS relating to the Committee’s responsibilities. As part of the consultation process, Members were asked to consider the proposals within the remit of the Committee and provide comments and feedback to the Corporate Policy Committee for consideration on 9 February 2023 before a balanced budget was presented to the full Council meeting of 22 February 2023 for final review and approval.

The following comments were raised:

-          Cllr Dean raised concerns around the consultation process and that Committee Members had not been consulted or involved in the drawing up of the proposals before them in the report. Committee Members requested that consideration is given to future consultation to ensure there is a clear process for the Committee to be properly consulted on the proposals and detail surrounding them.

-          Proposal 92: Review Waste Collection Service – Cllr Dean queried how much it would cost for a green bin to be emptied, what the current position was across the wider local authority sector and what market research had been undertaken to date.

-          Cllr Farrall referred to a similar project by Trafford Borough Council which appeared unsuccessful and was later withdrawn.

-          Members felt that the proposals could be counterproductive and queried if the proposals would:

a)    lead to an increase in fly-tipping and food wastage

b)    lead to any public health consequences as a result of home composting

c)    encourage residents to blow leaves and other debris onto the highway potentially leading to blocked gullies and flooding

Members expressed a view that waste collection was something Cheshire East did well so it was disappointing that savings could not have been found elsewhere, particularly given the cost of living crisis and some residents struggling financially.

-          Proposal 83: Planning and Building Control Income - Cllr Farrall queried if there was anything that Cheshire East could implement at a local level to generate revenue, such as adding a surcharge for fast-tracking planning applications. Members also suggested that the Council lobby Central Government further on the issue of planning application fees and the need to be able to vary these locally.

-          Proposal 90: Strategic Leisure Review – Members received an update on the detail behind this proposal. Members raised concerns around some of the proposals being put forward to achieve the budget saving which they felt should have been shared at an earlier stage.

Cllr Groves felt that the introduction of a parking permit scheme would have a detrimental impact and further highlights the need for a fair car parking policy to be introduced.

Members highlighted the significant costs associated with heating swimming pools and queried if there was any work underway to actively reduce the cost of energy usage. Cllr Abel referred to the potential to use solar power to heat pools.

-          Proposal 91: Maintenance of Green Spaces – Members queried the savings attached to this proposal and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 58

For the Environment and Communities Committee to respond to the Budget consultation.

Paul Goodwin, Head of Financial Services & Deputy Chief Finance Officer attended the meeting and introduced the item to the Committee. 

The Committee was advised that the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) report was the opportunity for the committee to feed back on the budget consultation document that related to the MTFS 2022-2026 for services under the remit of this committee.  There were no specific new proposals that related to services for this committee but there were a number of existing proposals rolling forward from the MTFS 2021-25 relevant to this committee, these were listed as an appendix within the report. 

The Committee were given the opportunity to ask questions.

Councillor Peter Groves asked if the salary levels for planning officers was being considered in relation to retention and recruitment of staff within this area.

Paul Bayley, Director for Environment and Neighbourhood Services noted that the Executive Director for Place had instigated a deep-dive review of planning services within Cheshire East and recruitment and retention of Planning Officers, including salary levels, would be considered within the scope of this review.

RESOLVED: That:

1)        the MTFS 2022 to 2026 Consultation Document be received and noted;

2)        comments made by individual Councillors be fed back to the Corporate Policy Committee for its consideration;

3)        the following proposals rolling forward from the MTFS 2021-25 relevant to the committee (as part of Appendix 1 (Appendix A of the report) be noted:

26) Regulatory Services and Environmental Health ICT procurement 

27) CCTV migration to wireless networks

29) Orbitas income and management fee

31) Everybody Sport and Recreation Management Fee

39) Review of governance of ASDVs

42) Strategic Leisure Review

84) Waste Contract Inflation and Tonnage Growth

85) Environment Strategy and Carbon Neutrality

86) Tree Risk Management

5)        the impact of the local government financial settlement as provided at Appendix 2 on the MTFS Consultation Document be received and noted;

6)         it be noted that this committee can comment on any other element of the MTFS Consultation Document related to the responsibilities of the Committee (including WOC Business Plans, and Reserves levels);

7)        it be noted that the minutes of this meeting will form the consultation response of the Committee for the consideration by the Corporate Policy Committee.